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Archers Honor Six Departing Women’s Soccer Players

June 27, 2014

These players from the women's soccer team will continue their careers at four-year institutions. They are, from left, Colleen McComish, Donna Jolliff, Jessica Smugala, Katie Rapisardo, Lauren Guerrero and Taylor Giese.

During a small signing ceremony at St. Louis Community College’s Meramec campus, six graduating women’s soccer players were honored, as they will continue their collegiate careers at four-year programs.

The Archers honored Colleen McComish, Donna Jolliff, Jessica Smugala, Katie Rapisardo, Lauren Guerrero and Taylor Giese, all of whom were members of the team’s back-to-back appearances in the National Junior College Athletic Association Soccer Tournament.

The team’s success was largely built around the familiarity and chemistry of the team’s roster, as multiple players had played together or against one another for nearly a decade.

“I think it helped that we got a group from certain high schools,” Rapisardo said. “We got a group from Mehlville, and a group from Seckman. We knew each others’ strengths and weaknesses, so we really worked together and formed well.”

Of the six signing, four different area colleges were represented. McComish will be continuing her career at Missouri Valley College. Smugala will head across the river to McKendree University and Rapisardo will attend University of Missouri-St. Louis. The trio of Jolliff, Giese and Guerrero will join Missouri Baptist University.

Juergen Huettner, who served as the Archers’ head coach for the past three years before taking the same job at Southwestern Illinois College, credited these six athletes for advancing the program to heights not seen in more than a decade at STLCC.

Huettner was optimistic about the potential of this class when they arrived on campus two years ago, and their impact has been clear to see since. The Archers took off on the strength of last year’s sophomore class, which led STLCC to consecutive national tournament appearances.

“They were mainstays,” Huettner said. “They were, for the most part, all starters on our team. They really put St. Louis Community College back on the national map.”